Reflective Journal Entry 4
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school*?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Up to this point, I definitely see patterns and routines have developed in my classroom. Some patterns, like my opening exercise to get the kids reviewing the previous day's work, are working well and the kids seem to get the idea that this is how I do things. Other patterns, like talking while I'm teaching or changing seats, are ones that I do not want continued. But these patterns are the hardest to break because I haven't been constantly on top of it, trying to end the issue.
At times I do feel like I am playing the game of school. In General Science, the teachers at Coventry generally stick to concepts specifically named in the GSEs and so topics like the rock cycle and the structure of the Earth have no excitement with the students. And so, we force this knowledge on them, they take the notes, and then take a quiz on it. It's hard to make it intellectually challenging or relatable to their interests in any way.
I feel that I am teaching the content well and getting the information across to the students in a comprehendible way. Evidence of this is the students' overall success on my last unit test. I spent more time on this unit than the last one and it definitely paid off.
What I want to work on is managing my more difficult students. The hyper student, the failing student, and the slightly disrespectful student make lessons fairly difficult to get through. Being on their good side makes teaching a lot easier because they are not out to do anything to disrupt or damage your entire lesson.
I am determined to change my relationship with my difficult students. Maybe I can pull them aside after class and just ask them how other things, outside of school are going. Trying to reach out to them may open up some conversation and help me discover why they misbehave or have such a difficult time in my class.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school*?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Up to this point, I definitely see patterns and routines have developed in my classroom. Some patterns, like my opening exercise to get the kids reviewing the previous day's work, are working well and the kids seem to get the idea that this is how I do things. Other patterns, like talking while I'm teaching or changing seats, are ones that I do not want continued. But these patterns are the hardest to break because I haven't been constantly on top of it, trying to end the issue.
At times I do feel like I am playing the game of school. In General Science, the teachers at Coventry generally stick to concepts specifically named in the GSEs and so topics like the rock cycle and the structure of the Earth have no excitement with the students. And so, we force this knowledge on them, they take the notes, and then take a quiz on it. It's hard to make it intellectually challenging or relatable to their interests in any way.
I feel that I am teaching the content well and getting the information across to the students in a comprehendible way. Evidence of this is the students' overall success on my last unit test. I spent more time on this unit than the last one and it definitely paid off.
What I want to work on is managing my more difficult students. The hyper student, the failing student, and the slightly disrespectful student make lessons fairly difficult to get through. Being on their good side makes teaching a lot easier because they are not out to do anything to disrupt or damage your entire lesson.
I am determined to change my relationship with my difficult students. Maybe I can pull them aside after class and just ask them how other things, outside of school are going. Trying to reach out to them may open up some conversation and help me discover why they misbehave or have such a difficult time in my class.